Download Nom assignatura: EXPERIMENTACIÓ EN QUÍMICA

Name of subject:
Project Based Learning (PBL)
Code:
240NU015
ECTS Credits:
3
Unit responsible:
240 – ETSEIB – School of Industrial Engineering of Barcelona
Department:
Physics and Nuclear Engineering
Starting course:
2012/2013
Degrees:
Nuclear Engineering Master
Unit Type Education: Mandatory
Subject responsible:
Guillem Cortes
Skills
Transversal: Contributes to the transversal skills, CT3, CT4, CT5,

CT3: Effective oral and written communication. The student will be able to
communicate orally and in writing with others about the learning outcomes
and decision making, and also participate in discussions on topics of their
own specialty

CT4: Teamwork. The student will be able to work as a team member, either
as a director or performing tasks, in order to help the development of
projects with pragmatism and sense of responsibility, making commitments
and considering the resources available.

CT5: Solvent use of information resources. The student will have the ability
to manage the acquisition, structuring, analysis and visualization of data and
information of the nuclear field and critically evaluate the results of this
effort
Generic:
Effective oral and written communication
Teamwork
Independent Learning
Solvent use of information resource
Sustainability and social commitment
Entrepreneurship and innovation
English
Project Management
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Methodology
Project Based Learning (PBL) is an instructional approach built upon authentic learning
activities that try to engage student interest and motivation. The activities are designated to
answer a question or solve a problem and generally reflect the types of learning and work
people do in everyday world outside the classroom. PBL teaches students skills as well as
content. The skills include communication and presentation skills, organization and time
management skills, research and inquiry skills, self-assessment and reflection skills, and group
participation and leadership skills.
PBL is done by groups of students working together toward a common goal. Performance is
assessed on an individual basis, and takes into account the quality of the product produced,
the depth of content understanding demonstrated, and the contributions made to the ongoing
process of project realization.
Also, PBL allows students to reflect upon their own ideas and opinions, exercise voice and
choice, and make decisions that affect project outcomes and the learning process in general.
PBL implies that students must take responsibility of their own learning. The problems stated
are presented intentionally unstructured and allowing free interpretations. Also the learning
achieved by students, in the stages of study and independent learning, has to be applied
subsequently to the practical problem proposed. The topics and activities have to be always
connected to the real world, and bring values compatible with professional fields. Cooperative
team work, collaboration, learning and self-responsibility, must be taken as key skills essential
to the work.
The methodology is structured in a set of activities:
1) Description of the problem to be solved: The teacher introduces the objectives to goal and
the methodology.
2) Explanation of the theoretical concepts and tools: The main objective is the student
acquisition of base knowledge, which is subsequently extended on an
autonomous/directed form through the guidance and monitoring. The training will be
incorporated at the beginning of the project and when needed.
3) Allocation of groups, projects and roles: At the beginning of the course, the students will
form groups of 3 members. Each group must have a coordinator and a secretary. The rule
of the coordinator will be to moderate team meetings and send deliverables to the
teacher. The rule of the secretary will be the preparation of meeting calls and to write the
meeting minutes. The roles could be interchanged, so that all members perform both
functions.
4) Continuous monitoring and evaluation: Each group must meet on a weekly basis. The
work done by each individual student will be discussed, validated and agreed by the rest
of the group. The teacher will check the development of each group and will solve doubts
and direct the students to find the way to solve doubts by themselves. Each group must
elaborate some deliverables to be evaluated by the teacher. The periodicity of this
deliverables will depend on the work done by the groups.
5) Final assessment: Each group prepares a report describing the activities done during the
course and the results and conclusions. Also each group must prepare an oral exposition
explaining the methodology, calculations, results and conclusions.
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Objectives
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
The student will be able to describe a nuclear fuel assembly and define the main
properties
Calculate the fuel assembly burnup
Calculate fission products inventory during burnup inside reactor core
Evaluate the source term
Make use of computer tools to analyze databases, draw plots and perform complicated
mathematical calculations.
Use a computer code to calculate fission products
Develop a methodology to evaluate the radiation inventory emitted by a spent fuel
assembly
Calculate the shielding of a spent fuel assembly according regulatory guides, making use
of a computer code.
Capacitate the student to write a scientific report
Exercise the student to summarize calculations, results and conclusions.
Capacitate the student to make oral presentations
Course description
1. Introduction. Problem description
Dedication: 4 h
Theory: 2 h
Problems: 0 h
Laboratory: 0 h
Independent learning: 2 h
Competencies: CT5
Description:
General overview of the PBL methodology and main aspects. Description of the problem to
be solved during the course
Activities:
- 0.5h Presentation and introduction to PBL (Theory-GC)
- 1.5h Description of problem to be solved (Theory-GC)
- 2.0h The student search for information about the problem to be solved (Ind. learning)
2. Basic information. Tools
Dedication: 6 h
Theory: 2 h
Problems: 0 h
Laboratory:0 h
Independent learning: 6h
Competencies: CT4 and CT5
Description:
The student will be able to use the basic tools to make scientific plots and perform
mathematical calculations employing scientific software as root (CERN). Also the student will
receive information about the methodology and rules to write scientific reports.
Activities:
3
- 1.0h Introduction to rules and units (Theory- GC)
- 1.0h Introduction to plotting and analysis tools(Theory- GC)
- 6.0h Exercises to familiarize with root (Ind. learning)
3. Source term. Radioactivity decay
Dedication: 12 h
Theory: 1 h
Problems: 1 h
Laboratory: 0 h
Independent learning: 12 h
Competencies: CT4 and CT5
Description:
Description of the source term to define a fuel assembly burnup. Calculation of chain decay
of main radionuclides in a spent fuel assembly. Temporal evolution of minor actinides (MA).
Activities:
- 1.0h Chain decay and Batemann equations applied to a nuclear fuel assembly. (Theory-GC)
- 1.0h Setting of equations for MA composition. (Problems-GC)
- 12.0h Calculation of isotopes composition in a spent fuel assembly. (Ind. learning)
4. Simulation of spent fuel isotopic composition. Dedication: 9 h
ORIGEN code.
Theory: 2 h
Problems: 0 h
Laboratory: 0 h
Independent learning: 10 h
Competencies: CT4 and CT5
Description:
The teacher shows to the students the usage of a simulation code to calculate the isotopic
composition of a spent fuel assembly and their evolution over time.
Activities:
- 2.0h Description of simulation code and examples (Theory-GC)
- 10.0h The student calculates the isotopic composition of a fuel assembly during burnup
and the decay after extraction from reactor core (Independent learning)
5. Radiations emitted by a spent fuel assembly
Dedication: 8 h
Theory:2 h
Problems: 2 h
Laboratory: 0 h
Independent learning: 8 h
Competencies: CT4 and CT5
Description:
The teacher explains the usage of database tools and equations to evaluate the radiations
emitted by radioactive isotopes of a spent fuel assembly and the students solve a problem
at class.
Activities:
- 2.0h Description of database and equations (Theory-GC)
- 2.0h Each group solve a problem at class (Problems-GC)
- 8.0h The students finish the solution of the problem started at class (Independent
learning)
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6. Dissipation of thermal power in spent nuclear Dedication: 6h
fuel assemblies
Theory: 2 h
Problems: 0 h
Laboratory: 0 h
Independent learning: 4 h
Competencies: CT4 and CT5
Description:
Employing the results obtained in previous sessions the students calculate the thermal
power dissipated by radiations emitted by a spent fuel assembly. The teacher remind to the
main equations needed to perform these calculations.
Activities:
2.0h Description of the methodology for calculations of thermal power dissipation (theoryGC)
4.0h The students calculate at home the thermal power (Independent learning)
7. Dosimetry and shielding calculation
Dedication: 13h
Theory: 2 h
Problems: 1 h
Laboratory: 0 h
Independent learning: 15 h
Competencies: CT4 and CT5
Description:
The students make use the code Microshield to calculate the shielding of a spent fuel
assembly taking in account the results from previous sessions. The teacher show to the
students the usage of this code.
Activities:
2.0h Description of Microshield code (Theory GC)
1.0h The students employ the Microshield code to calculate the shielding (Problems GC)
15.0 h The students finish their calculations and write a report about their results to design
of a shielding for a spent fuel assembly. Also they prepare a presentation to make an oral
defense of their results and conclusions (independent learning)
8. Project presentations
Dedication: 1h
Theory: 0 h
Problems: 1 h
Laboratory: 0 h
Independent learning: 0 h
Competencies: CT3
Description:
Each group does an oral exposition of its results and conclusions
Activities:
1.0h Oral exposition(Theory GC)
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Activities description
Problems resolution
Dedication: 62h
Class: 5h
Independent learning: 57h
Description:The problems will be presented at class and will also be discussed there. The
problems are related with the Course Project and each group has different data. In order to
finish the problems the students will have an extended time to work at home
independently.
Objectives: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
Resources: Codes and bibliography
Evidences: The student should present the problems solved in an electronic format.
Course Project
Dedication: 43h
Class: 0h
Independent learning: 57h
Description: A report including a description of the problem to be solved, the calculations,
the results and conclusions. This work will be done in groups of three-four students.
Objectives: 9, 10, 11
Resources: Numerical codes, nuclear databases, information from other subjects, and
scientific software.
Evidences: Report at the end of the semester and a oral presentation
Theory
Dedication: 13h
Class: 13h
Independent learning: 0h
Description: At class, the teacher introduce the concepts in order to give to the students the
capacity to develop the objectives of the subject
Objectives: 1 to 8
Resources: Oral presentations with the aid of projectors and other media. The presentations
will be previously submitted to the students using the virtual campus.
Evidences: Deliveries of students during the course and the report at the end of the
semester
Evaluation activities
Dedication: 1h
Class: 1h
Independent learning: 0h
Description: The report will be qualified depending on many aspects, including the oral
presentation. Also the evaluation will be complemented with the problems delivered during
the semester which are included in other activities described previously.
Objectives: 1 to 11
Resources:
Evidences: Report, oral presentation and deliveries
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Evaluation system
FINAL MARK: FM = 0.30*EX +0.6*FP +0.1*OP
EX: exercises delivered during the course
FP: final project mark
OP: oral presentation mark
Bibliography
Basic:
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Nuclear Fuel Cycle Simulation System (VISTA). IAEA-TECDOC-1535. IAEA, Vienna 2007.
Robert E. Naegeli. Calculation of the Radionuclides in PWR Spent Fuel Samples for SFR
Experiment Planning. Sandia Report, SAND2004-2757, June 2004.
Survey of wet and dry spent fuel storage. IAEA-TECDOC-1100.IAEA, Vienna 1999.
ROOT. Data Analysis Framework. http://root.cern.ch/
JANIS. Java-based Nuclear Information Software. Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA).
http://www.oecd-nea.org/janis/
The International System of Units (SI). NIST Special Publication 330. 2008 Edition
National Institute of Standards and Technology(NIST). U.S. Department of Commerce.
Extra::

Lennart Agrenius. Criticality safety calculations of storage canisters. Technical Report,
TR-02-17. Swedish Nuclear Fuel and waste Management Co. April 2002.
Other resources
Nuclear Regulatory Commission. USA. http://www.nrc.gov/waste/spent-fuel-storage.html
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